Again; It is as true on the other side, if you will judge a wicked man by a few steppes, and not by his ordinary course, you shall be as ready to justify the wicked; you shall find Cain sacrificing, you shall find Saul among the Prophets, you shall see Judas among the Disciples, you shall see Herod entertaining John Baptist, you shall see him hear him gladly, doing many things at his Preaching, and admonition, this you see frequent, and usual: Therefore, I say, were not to be judged by a few actions, and a few paces, but by the constant tenor of our life, by what we do in ordinary, ⟨p. 211⟩and usual course: for there is no man so good, but he may have some swervings, though he have chosen the way of Gods Commandments, yet oft he may miss that way, oft he may be drawn out of that way, oft he may be transported with some strong temptation. Again, on the other side, there is scarce any man so bad, but sometimes he may come into the way. You have men that have no constant place to travail to, yet, for a fit, they may go into the high way, as a thief, or a robber, you know. Therefore, let us learn hence, not to judge our own estate, or other mens, or censure either our selves, or others by a few actions: for I have this ground for it, that you may see the reason of the rule. A mans constant course proceeds from the inward root, and frame of his disposition, from those principles, that are ingrafted in him, I say, his constant course proceeds from it. Those same by-scapings out, whether to good, or evil, they do not proceed from the frame of the heart, but from the evil that is in the good, and from those good things that may be in the evil. You shall see it so in nature: Take a river, let it be dammed, and stopped up, yet let the course of it be natural, let the vent, and stream of it be to go downward, at the length, it will over-bear the dam, and will run over it; or let water, that is sweet, be made brackish by the coming in of Salt water, yet, if naturally it be sweet, at the length, it will work it our; so, I say, it is with every man, look what the constant stream of his disposition is, look what the frame ⟨p. 212⟩of it is, that which is most natural, and inward to a man, though it may be dammed up, and stopped in such a course, for a time, yet it will break through all impediments.
Againe; It is as true on the other side, if you will judge a wicked man by a few steppes, and not by his ordinarie course, you shall be as readie to justifie the wicked; you shall finde Cain sacrificing, you shall finde Saul among the Prophets, you shall see Iudas among the Disciples, you shall see Herod entertaining Iohn Baptist, you shall see him heare him gladly, doing many things at his Preaching, and admonition, this you see frequent, and vsuall: Therefore, I say, were not to be judged by a few actions, and a few paces, but by the constant tenor of our life, by what we doe in ordinarie, ⟨p. 211⟩and vsuall course: for there is no man so good, but he may haue some swarvings, though he haue chosen the way of Gods Commandements, yet oft he may misse that way, oft he may be drawne out of that way, oft he may be transported with some strong temptation. Againe, on the other side, there is scarce any man so bad, but sometimes he may come into the way. You haue men that haue no constant place to travaile to, yet, for a fit, they may goe into the high way, as a theefe, or a robber, you know. Therefore, let vs learne hence, not to judge our owne estate, or other mens, or censure either our selues, or others by a few actions: for I haue this ground for it, that you may see the reason of the rule. A mans constant course proceeds from the inward roote, and frame of his disposition, from those principles, that are ingrafted in him, I say, his constant course proceeds from it. Those same by-scapings out, whether to good, or evill, they doe not proceede from the frame of the heart, but from the evill that is in the good, and from those good things that may be in the evill. You shall see it so in nature: Take a river, let it be dammed, and stopped vp, yet let the course of it be naturall, let the vent, and streame of it be to goe downeward, at the length, it will over-beare the damme, and will runne over it; or let water, that is sweete, be made brackish by the comming in of Salt water, yet, if naturally it be sweete, at the length, it will worke it our; so, I say, it is with every man, looke what the constant streame of his disposition is, looke what the frame ⟨p. 212⟩of it is, that which is most naturall, and inward to a man, though it may be dammed vp, and stopped in such a course, for a time, yet it will breake through all impediments.
